........ , .... -&apos; ...... '-' lilPJIUIIHI NUWS C0tyT
{)he Plumas County's dark-e--st00ver episod00a q
By Dave Keller played a key role in their of-
Staff Writer
Twenty-two months ago
Greenville's Matthew Black
was driven to Quarry Road,
an abandoned Forest Service
route near Quincy, and was
violently beaten to death.
The four men responsible
for Black's demise---Donald
Engel, David Hollars,
Ronald Miller and Zachary
Shaw--have been punished
with prison sentences.
Engel and Hollars will not
have a chance at parole for
25 years, and they may end
up staying in prison for the
rest of their lives. They pled
to first-degree murder
charges earlier this year.
"The way things are today,
no one gets paroled for first-
degree murder anymore,"
said Plumas County Deputy
District Attorney Jeff Cu-
nan. "There is virtually no
difference between a life
sentence with no possibility
of parole and a life sentence
with the possibility of pa-
role."
Meanwhile, Miller will not
be eligible for release for an-
other 13 years, and Shaw
probably will not get out for
about a decade. They were
sentenced nearly two weeks
ago for their roles in Black's
death.
The conclusion of their
court cases ends one of the
most disturbing chapters in
Plumas County criminal jus-
tice history. For many of the
players in the local criminal
justice system, the case sup-
plied a grisly bookend to the
brutal slayings in Keddie
nearly two decades earlier.
Drugs played a role
It is widely acknowledged
that Black's killers were fu-
eled, at least in part, by
methamphetamine, a highly
addictive drug that has been
called "the witch's brew" by
Shaw's attorney.
Cunan, for one, says meth
fenses.
"None of them were on the
path to murder, had it not
been for meth," he ays.
"Five young men have had
heir lives ruined. It's sad
for everyone."
Unlike most of Plumas
County's past homicides,
which have typically in-
volved family disputes or
bar fights or occur in the
heat of the moment, the
Black case is one of the
county's uncommon it makes
no sense at all to me mur-
ders.
"It's irrational, completely
irrational," Cunan says.
Similarly, Jo Philips,
Black's grandmother, called
Engel "a time bomb ready to
explode."
Indeed, the inanity of the
offense is exemplified by
comments by Engel, who
told Shaw at one point that
he wanted to commit the
murder because he wanted
to take Black's soul.
The shocking details sur-
rounding the crime encour-
aged District Attorney
James Reichle to consider
the death penalty, a punish-
ment that has not been
sought in Plumas County in
40 years.
The planning stages
To better understand what
took place on Aug. 31, 1998,
when Black was killed, one
must step back in time, to
sometime around the third
week of August.
One summer day, Shaw
and Engel were walking
down Main Street in Quincy,
mostly just hanging out.
Suddenly, Engel started to
complain about Black,
telling Shaw that he had
stolen more than $3,000 in
cash from him. Cunan said
last week there is no evi-
dence that Black actually
stole money from Engel.
Engel, who was 22 at the
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 ASE Certified
 A Family Owned Business
251-5200
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Extra security was needed for, from left, defendants Zachary Shaw, David Hollards, and Donald Engel in the
Black case when they were transported from the county Jail to the courthouse. Ronaid Miller was still e 
juvenile when this photo was taken in September 1998, so he is not pictured. ;s
| With
time, told Shaw, then barely " ................................. ............................................ rill i
18, he wanted to get the
money back by confronting
Black.
"It would come down to
murder if it had to," Shaw
has quoted Engel as saying
during that Main Street con-
versation.
Engel wanted Shaw to
help hold Black down while
he slit his throat, Shaw said
in March of 1999.
your car
to Tfi
701-805 Johnstonville Rd.  Susanville
We'll deliver fuel to
logging sites, ranches
or wherever you
might need it.
Covering most
of Northeastern
California
Staub Energy
257-3416
702-805 Johnstonville Rd.  Susanville
CONfRETE MATER
Driveways & Materials  ParRing Lots / Seal Coat / Landscaping
Owners: Sandy & Tim Ochotorena and Don & Jeanine Kirkpatfick
J OPEN MON-SAT
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#679158 702-045 E. Johnstonvflle Rd.  Susanville Estimates
Experimental Aircraft Association #794
tlnl;Aln '00
Saturday
July 15
Susanville
Airport
7 am- 2 pm
strawberry
pancake Breakyast
7 aomo Chikiren$3
Complete with eggs,
ham & more.
 Aerobatic
 Parachute Jumpers
 Local Hang Gliding
 Remote
 Helicopter Rides
 Car Clubs
 Show
Motorcycles
 Douglas DC-3
rides available
257-2030
Susanville Aviation Supporter
........ , .... -' ...... '-' lilPJIUIIHI NUWS C0tyT
{)he Plumas County's dark-e--st00ver episod00a q
By Dave Keller played a key role in their of-
Staff Writer
Twenty-two months ago
Greenville's Matthew Black
was driven to Quarry Road,
an abandoned Forest Service
route near Quincy, and was
violently beaten to death.
The four men responsible
for Black's demise---Donald
Engel, David Hollars,
Ronald Miller and Zachary
Shaw--have been punished
with prison sentences.
Engel and Hollars will not
have a chance at parole for
25 years, and they may end
up staying in prison for the
rest of their lives. They pled
to first-degree murder
charges earlier this year.
"The way things are today,
no one gets paroled for first-
degree murder anymore,"
said Plumas County Deputy
District Attorney Jeff Cu-
nan. "There is virtually no
difference between a life
sentence with no possibility
of parole and a life sentence
with the possibility of pa-
role."
Meanwhile, Miller will not
be eligible for release for an-
other 13 years, and Shaw
probably will not get out for
about a decade. They were
sentenced nearly two weeks
ago for their roles in Black's
death.
The conclusion of their
court cases ends one of the
most disturbing chapters in
Plumas County criminal jus-
tice history. For many of the
players in the local criminal
justice system, the case sup-
plied a grisly bookend to the
brutal slayings in Keddie
nearly two decades earlier.
Drugs played a role
It is widely acknowledged
that Black's killers were fu-
eled, at least in part, by
methamphetamine, a highly
addictive drug that has been
called "the witch's brew" by
Shaw's attorney.
Cunan, for one, says meth
fenses.
"None of them were on the
path to murder, had it not
been for meth," he ays.
"Five young men have had
heir lives ruined. It's sad
for everyone."
Unlike most of Plumas
County's past homicides,
which have typically in-
volved family disputes or
bar fights or occur in the
heat of the moment, the
Black case is one of the
county's uncommon it makes
no sense at all to me mur-
ders.
"It's irrational, completely
irrational," Cunan says.
Similarly, Jo Philips,
Black's grandmother, called
Engel "a time bomb ready to
explode."
Indeed, the inanity of the
offense is exemplified by
comments by Engel, who
told Shaw at one point that
he wanted to commit the
murder because he wanted
to take Black's soul.
The shocking details sur-
rounding the crime encour-
aged District Attorney
James Reichle to consider
the death penalty, a punish-
ment that has not been
sought in Plumas County in
40 years.
The planning stages
To better understand what
took place on Aug. 31, 1998,
when Black was killed, one
must step back in time, to
sometime around the third
week of August.
One summer day, Shaw
and Engel were walking
down Main Street in Quincy,
mostly just hanging out.
Suddenly, Engel started to
complain about Black,
telling Shaw that he had
stolen more than $3,000 in
cash from him. Cunan said
last week there is no evi-
dence that Black actually
stole money from Engel.
Engel, who was 22 at the
Summer Is Here!
AND SO IS SUMMER TRAVEL
HAVE YOUR VEHICLE SERVICED AT:
Your Complete Automotive Repair Center
 ASE Certified
 A Family Owned Business
251-5200
Chevron
Extra security was needed for, from left, defendants Zachary Shaw, David Hollards, and Donald Engel in the
Black case when they were transported from the county Jail to the courthouse. Ronaid Miller was still e 
juvenile when this photo was taken in September 1998, so he is not pictured. ;s
| With
time, told Shaw, then barely " ................................. ............................................ rill i
18, he wanted to get the
money back by confronting
Black.
"It would come down to
murder if it had to," Shaw
has quoted Engel as saying
during that Main Street con-
versation.
Engel wanted Shaw to
help hold Black down while
he slit his throat, Shaw said
in March of 1999.
your car
to Tfi
701-805 Johnstonville Rd.  Susanville
We'll deliver fuel to
logging sites, ranches
or wherever you
might need it.
Covering most
of Northeastern
California
Staub Energy
257-3416
702-805 Johnstonville Rd.  Susanville
CONfRETE MATER
Driveways & Materials  ParRing Lots / Seal Coat / Landscaping
Owners: Sandy & Tim Ochotorena and Don & Jeanine Kirkpatfick
J OPEN MON-SAT
We Will Rock You
CA Lic. ..iva -oa i ql.p, Free
#679158 702-045 E. Johnstonvflle Rd.  Susanville Estimates
Experimental Aircraft Association #794
tlnl;Aln '00
Saturday
July 15
Susanville
Airport
7 am- 2 pm
strawberry
pancake Breakyast
7 aomo Chikiren$3
Complete with eggs,
ham & more.
 Aerobatic
 Parachute Jumpers
 Local Hang Gliding
 Remote
 Helicopter Rides
 Car Clubs
 Show
Motorcycles
 Douglas DC-3
rides available
257-2030
Susanville Aviation Supporter